Balochistan CM Bugti rules out talks with those taking up arms, backs new provinces on administrative basis 

Quetta (Web Desk): Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday said that the government would maintain its counterterrorism campaign until the threat was completely eliminated.

The chief minister made the remarks while speaking to national media anchors, senior journalists and other representatives through a video link from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday.

Speaking about terrorism in Balochistan, he said Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership had a shared position on dealing with terrorism, making it clear that the state’s policy was firm and there was no confusion over how the issue would be addressed.

Bugti ruled out any negotiations with those who had chosen armed confrontation with the state.

However, he said the government would continue trying to bring young people back from violence if they had been misled or influenced by hostile forces.

The Balochistan CM said that such individuals should be encouraged to leave violence behind and return to normal, peaceful lives.

The Balochistan CM described terrorism as a challenge facing the entire country rather than an issue restricted to Balochistan.

He stressed that all provinces and institutions would have to cooperate to effectively tackle the security threat.

CM Bugti said that greater national unity, improved governance and stronger administrative systems were vital for dealing with Pakistan’s political, administrative and security-related problems.

He also supported the idea of establishing additional provinces in Pakistan, provided they were created on administrative grounds.

According to him, the purpose should be to make governance more effective rather than to promote ethnic or linguistic divisions.

Bugti said any decision on new provinces should come only after achieving national agreement in the National Assembly.

If the federal parliament reached consensus on the matter, he said the Balochistan Assembly would also support the decision.

He reiterated that administrative needs, rather than language or ethnicity, should determine the creation of new provinces.

Referring to Balochistan’s enormous geographical spread, Bugti said governing the entire province effectively from Quetta posed significant administrative difficulties.

He argued that restructuring the province’s administrative setup could enhance governance, reinforce state institutions and improve the delivery of public services.

The Balochistan CM said that that the establishment of new provinces was a matter of national importance and should be pursued strictly through constitutional and parliamentary processes.